Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1887-11-01
A BOOK WORMS DEN.
THE QUEER PEOPLE WHO HAVE A
MANIA FOR OLD VOLUMES.

Hobbies of the Old and Young Worms.
Rare Books.
"There goes one Of the most confirmed
book worms in the city of New York, y
said clerk in big Broadway book store
| the other day as an old man with a be-
nevclent locking face and long white hair
passed out Of the store with two very old
and very valuable books under his arm
His face bore look of contentment and
he seemed to be satisfied with himself
and all the world / watched him until
he boarded a Broadway car and sat down
to eloat over his latest possessions. The
sight WIS fascinating, and / gazed at the
fast disappearing car until the voice of
the clerk called me back from mental
vision Of old musty shelves filed with
older and MUSTER books, whose bindings
time has fringed and scalloped with gem
| erous Land.
Rather interesting to look at a real
book worm, isn't it2'' said the clerk.
"You hear people call each other book
worms simply because they are always
reading, but they are not true, musty
smelling book worms. What are theys
/ What's the genuine article? Well. I'll
4
or woman (which latter is rarely the easel
| who goes to n book store once or twice q
week, without knowing just what he
wants. He has no definite idea of buying
| anything, but before he knows it he has
one or two good books. They come to see
IL anything new has been received: IL so.
and it is interesting, they buy it, and
never object to the price. As rule they
are men past middle age, but there are
some young men who are studying for n
profession, but they usually buy only
those books which treat of the profession
they are studying. Then we have some
doctors and lawyers who are confirmed
book worms. Altogether l think there
are about $50 book worms in New York.
and about eighty of them are regular Gus
| toners of ours.n
A strange fact in connection with book
worms, the clerk said, was that they very
seldom visited the public libraries They
| think that if book is interesting enough
to read it is interesting enough to buy
and bny it they do, even il they have to
deny themselves the necessaries of life to
raise money enough to get the book.
"But arc they not great and insuffer-
able bores," l asked the clerk. as /
| thumbed a disreputable looking copy of
an old Latin prayer book that bore the
GATE 1910. Ine clerk smiled.
'Bores9 / should say not / do not
think there is bookseller in this city
who would be hard hearted enough to
discourage book worm that pays lrim q
| professional visit In fact, they will
gladly put up with the worms quips
and fancies in order to have his trade
Why, know bookseller who refused to
sell an old Bible-one that was yellow
with age-just because he saw a worm
looking at it the day before; and he was
right. The worm bought the Bible and
now is Il regular customer. It's pity.
too, for he spends every cent he can get
for books, old books, new books. and
books, books, books seem to be the only
things he lives for.'
|. While speaking of book worms in gen
eral, an old man entered the store, fol-
lowed by younger one. The old man
looked musty himself and the clerk
whispered
'sIhcre is one of the antiquarians-a
genuine worm. That young man Is a
worm, too. Now, IL we approach him
gently, | think the old gentleman will
give you some tips. He's one of the most
confirmed worms / ever saw, and, al
though he wears shabby clothes, he lives
fairly well. He spends fully $1,000 a
year on hooks, and manages to live on
from S4c0 To $500 Hes genuine
The oil, gentleman was introduced. and
talked freely about his hobby, winding up
by inviting me TO inspect his collection.
AS left, the clerk said Now, you'll see
$4,000 worth of books Don't ask too
many questions, and when he gets started
keep quiet ard listen to him. He'll tell
you all lie knows
The old gentleman was Chesterficldian
in his politcness, and rs gallant as the
knights You read about in the medieval
ages. Uptown in the elevated to One
Hundred and Twenty-fifth street we went.
and then 10 One Hundred and Thirty
second street near Eighth avenue. Here
is a little two-story building, and this was
the book worms home. The old gentle
man apologizel for his untiIy house, and
conducted me to his 'tden,'' a room in the
second story. Books and books and
books! Dill ever see 50 many books out
side OF book stcrcs What jolly mid
nigs.t Isnlic> he worms and the mice
aud the nlo..ss must have among those
musty, time decorated, dust hidden vol
unlcs. ! would live in One Hundred and
Thirty-secona street near Eighth avenue
were l Il niorse. The little old man looked
as dried up cnd as musty as his books.
he picked isp q volume with beech wood
covers. There were faint lines on the
covcrs-lines gfat looked as If they had
been traced there by some hand. which
was now E.se :.Ie dust that covered the
book Tho ncs were ghastly In their
fantastic trrcrfv
This il .ssssa S1cra Latina. ;, he said.
sIt Wis s.9...-I II Venice, and is what
they s;ss;l:. I Sfsslz Latin. II IS very
Oil Tic .a.s it il over 400 years
OIL 5ss i 1.s5. Look inside It